Therapy
by purplestarz2006
Summary: COMPLETED! Christian and Satine leave Paris, and finally find peace and happiness. But Satine's consumption wasn't her only problem...
1. Default Chapter

Therapy

Chapter One: Happiness at Last

Summary: Christian and Satine leave Paris, and finally find peace and happiness. But Satine's consumption wasn't her only problem

Disclaimer: I don't own Moulin Rouge. 

Christian looked out the window of the carriage. It was raining, not a rare thing in London. His gaze shifted from the window to Satine, who was sound asleep on his lap. He didn't blame her for nodding off, as it had been a very long journey. 

Six months earlier, the play Spectacular Spectacular had won over it's first audience. Unfortunately, it would be its only audience. Backstage, after the final curtain had come down, Satine had suffered the worst of what she called "episodes" that she had ever had. For about 45 minutes, there was doubt that she would live. Thankfully, Satine did survive, but she knew that she could no longer stay in Paris. She had been warned many times about the city air and how bad it was for her lungs. As much as she loved it, the smoke-filled village of Montmartre was doing very little to help her. The doctor who had treated her in Paris referred them to a colleague of his in a London suburb upon finding out that Christian had lived in the area. As sad as it was leaving the friendly group of Bohos, Christian said his goodbyes and he and Satine boarded a ship bound for England. 

Christian and Satine had taken up residence in the small town of Derby. They shared an apartment that was only slightly bigger than Christian's old garret. It wasn't much, but it was all that a writer and a former courtesan could afford. The doctor they had been referred to turned out to be what Christian called a miracle worker. In four months, Satine's consumption was all but cured. The couple considered going back to Paris, but was warned against it. The smoky air could have caused Satine to relapse. They decided that it would be better for Satine's health if they stayed in Derby. So there they stayed, until about two weeks ago. Satine had been looking through the mail, and found a letter from Christian's family. It had been originally sent to Paris, but forwarded to Derby by Toulouse. Christian's father had passed away, and left Christian the family house in London. While his father's death was indeed a shock, Christian didn't spend a lot of time in the mourning process. He and his father never got along well. It surprised Christian that the house was left to him. As much as going back to London scared him, he knew that his family home would be a better place for Satine than their tiny apartment in Derby. 

And so the writer and the former courtesan had packed once again and were moving to London. Christian felt the carriage jerk to a stop. The movement woke Satine. "Are we there?" she asked groggily. Christian nodded and he and Satine stepped out of the carriage. Satine timidly followed Christian to the front door of the house. "Welcome home" he said as he opened the front door. 

Satine slowly walked into the house. It was beautifully decorated, and was a definite improvement upon any of her former living conditions. Christian gave Satine a tour of the house. It had three bedroom, three baths, a large living room, dining room, and kitchen. After unpacking, Satine was exhausted despite her nap on the way there. Christian was tired too, so the two of them went to bed, knowing that the worst was over. Satine was cured, and they had their own house. They were happy. At least for now.


	2. Nightmares

Therapy 

Chapter Two: Nightmares

Disclaimer: I don't own Moulin Rouge. 

Satine fell asleep quickly and settled into a dream

She was ten years old. It was summer, and she was playing outside with another child. Although the child felt familiar, in her dream he or she had no face. It didn't matter. All that mattered to her was the game of hide and seek she was playing. Satine saw herself run and hide behind a large rock. Suddenly, the wooded area she was playing in turned dark. The child she had been playing with was gone. She stood up from behind the rock, and felt something, no, someone grab her. She was dragged deeper and deeper into the woods, to a place where there were no nearby houses and more importantly to her attacker, no nearby people. Satine was no longer simply observing her younger self in the dream, she was now reliving the events. The dark figure moved closer and closer to her, and she began to cower away. She was sobbing, and yelling out for him to go away

Christian woke up upon hearing Satine yelling in her sleep. "No, please! Don't hurt me! Who are you? NO! Stop!" The yelling got louder and louder each time. Not knowing what else to do, Christian gently shook Satine's arm. "Satine, it's ok. Wake up" he said. 

The man in Satine's dream didn't go away, no matter how loud she screamed. He grabbed her shoulders, and shook her violently. Everything hurt. The man continued to hurt her until he gave up and walked away, leaving a broken little girl alone in the woods. In her dream, Satine saw herself close her eyes. Suddenly, a voice snapped her back into reality. 

"Satine, it's alright. Calm down" Christian was still trying to quiet Satine's cries. Suddenly, her eyes opened and stared at him. Instead of cowering into him, which is what Christian was expecting, Satine began to cower away. It was as if she was still in her dream. Even though she knew she was looking at Christian, she still saw the dark figure. When she reached the edge of the bed, she leapt off and crawled into the corner of the room. She was still crying and yelling for the man in her dream to go away. Once she reached the corner, she made herself as small as she could and continued to sob, although the pleas of "No" had ceased. Christian was confused, but walked over to Satine anyway. He slowly knelt beside her and stroked her hair. 

"Satine, what's wrong? It's alright now. You just had a bad dream. I'm not going to hurt you" he said softly. Satine lifted her head and looked at him. Suddenly, she realized that she was no longer in the dark woods. She was at home, with Christian. He would make everything better. She threw herself into him, and continued to sob. Eventually, she cried herself back to sleep. Christian sat on the floor with her in his arms. "What was that?" he wondered. Satine had never mentioned having nightmares before, and the one time she did spend the night at his garret nothing like this had ever happened. He decided to leave the finding out for later as he carried Satine to the bed. He looked at the clock. It was now seven in the morning. Christian was tempted to go downstairs and make breakfast, but he didn't want to leave Satine. Instead, he simply sat on the bed next to her and watched her until she woke up, much more calmly this time. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked at him. 

"Hey. How are you?" he asked. Satine looked around for a few moments, and remembered the events of a few hours before. She started to cry again, but not as hard as last time. "Christian, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry!" she said in between whimpers. Christian gently put his arm around Satine. "Baby, you have nothing to be sorry about. You just had a bad dream." He said. Satine only nodded. Christian decided now would be as good a time as any to ask her about the nightmare. "Do you have dreams like that a lot?" he asked. Satine nodded again. "Almost every night. I've been having it for years, but I haven't been that scared for awhile, though." She had stopped crying. Christian took her hand in his. "Want to go have some breakfast?" he asked. Satine nodded, and they went downstairs. Christian insisted he cook breakfast. As he was preparing the meal, he thought about last night's events. Having the same nightmare night after night for years was not normal, and what happened last night was defiantly not normal. Satine needed help. And Christian was going to get it. 


	3. Searching for Answers

Therapy 

Chapter Three: Searching For Answers

Disclaimer: I don't own Moulin Rouge. 

Christian finished cooking breakfast and brought two plates into the dining room. Satine ate very slowly, and it was obvious by the look on her face that she wasn't completely over her nightmare. "Are you ok?" Christian asked. Satine looked at him. She wasn't ok. She hadn't been ok in thirteen years. Since it had happened, she hadn't had a full night's sleep. Being with Christian was the closest she came to being ok. No one had ever made her feel so safe, or so normal. She didn't want to worry him. "Yes, I'm fine" she said softly. 

Christian could tell that Satine wasn't fine. "Are you sure? It's ok if you're notÉ" he continued. He hoped that Satine would tell him what was wrong. He hated seeing her upset or scared, and he wanted to help her. But Satine maintained her act. "I'm fine, Christian. I'm just a little shook up from last night. I'll be ok.", she said as she continued to eat. 

Christian knew that this wasn't true. "Satine, you know that having nightmares like that isn't normal, right?" he asked. Satine stopped eating. She could see where this was headed. She nodded, allowing Christian to continue. "Maybe we should get you some help, get you some therapy or something". Christian hoped that Satine would accept the idea. 

Instead she stood up and ran from the room, shouting "No! Not again! I won't!". She ran up the stairs and into the bedroom. Christian followed her. He slowly opened the door to find her curled up on the bed, crying. Slowly, he walked over to the bed and sat down beside her. He gently rubbed her back. Satine looked at him. "I won't do it, Christian! Not again!" she sobbed. 

Christian continued to rub her back. "It's ok, no one's forcing you to do anything." He reassured her as she turned to face him. "But if you won't talk to a doctor, can you at least tell me what's wrong? You know I won't hurt you." Satine looked at him. She really wanted to tell him, but was unsure of where to start. "It's a long story, Christian. I wouldn't know where to beginÉ" she said. However, Christian's interest was unwavering. "Why don't you just tell me about the dream? Why were you so scared when you woke up?" 

Satine took a deep breath. "Ok. I saw myself at ten. I was playing in the woods with a friend, when someone grabbed me. Then I wasn't watching the dream anymore, I was living it. He dragged me deep into the woodsÉHe hurt me so bad. I screamed for him to stop but heÉhe just keptÉand then he just left me alone. When I woke upÉI knew where I was but it was like I was still in the dream. I still saw him. I had to get awayÉI just had toÉand then I saw you and everything was ok again.

Christian couldn't believe what Satine had told him. No wonder she was so scared. She was crying again, and he pulled her into a hug. "Shhh. Baby, it was only a dream.", he said softly. Suddenly, Satine pulled away. "No. No, it wasn't just a dream. Christian." Her voice was shaky. Christian embraced her again. "Of course it was. " he said. Satine shook her head. "No, Christian. It was real. It really happened to me. " she said. Christian held her tightly and rocked her from side to side. He was still in shock. How could anyone hurt his diamond? Satine continued her story. Talking to Christian really did make her feel better. "After it happened, my father put me in this house for rape victims. It was supposed to be like therapy, butÉit was so awful! The treated us like we were the criminals, like it was our fault. That place basically was a holding room for the Moulin. Every so often, Harold would come and select a few new girls to be diamond dogs. Eventually, I got selected. Christian, I can't go to therapy again! I just can't! It was too awful!

Christian suddenly understood why Satine was so reluctant to seek help, why she had chosen to live with the fear instead of getting rid of it. He continued to rock her as he said "Satine, I promise that this time it will be different. We'll find you a nice doctor, and it will be just the two of you. No one else." Satine turned her head and looked at him. "You'll be there too, right?" she asked. Christian wasn't sure if a doctor would allow him to stay, but he said yes. All he wanted was for her to get help. 

Satine laid her head against Christian's chest. "I don't want to be afraid anymore, Christian." She said. 

"It's ok. You have nothing to be afraid of." Christian whispered. 


	4. Exploring The Past

Therapy 

Chapter Four: Exploring The Past

Disclaimer: I don't own Moulin Rouge.

Two days later, Christian and Satine sat anxiously in their entry hall, waiting for the therapist to arrive. Satine's nightmare had returned the night before and although her reaction wasn't quite as severe, Christian thought it would be best to have the sessions in their home, in case anything evoked another reaction like that. 

The doorbell rang, and Christian got up to answer it. Satine didn't move. Although she wouldn't admit it, she was scared. She felt a little silly being scared of what was essentially a doctor's visit, but she was scared. Satine wasn't afraid of very many things. But what she was afraid of was her past, and she knew that her past would have to be confronted with the therapist. 

Christian let the therapist in. "Hello. I'm Dr. Steven Landon. You must be Christian" the doctor said as he took off his coat. 

"Yes, I'm Christian and this is Satine." Christian said, gesturing to Satine who still remained motionless. 

The doctor appeared unfazed by Satine's lack of response. "Well, Satine, why don't we go into the living room and get started?" he said. 

Satine's face suddenly filled with panic. "Christian can stay with me, right?" Satine wasn't going through with this if Christian couldn't be with her. 

The doctor paused for a moment. "Well, it isn't what I normally like to do, but I don't see why not." Satine's face filled with relief, and she stood up and accompanied Christian and Dr. Landon into the living room. 

In the living room, Satine and Christian sat on the couch while Dr. Landon sat on a chair opposite them. Christian held on to Satine's hand as Dr. Landon began his session. "So Satine, Christian tells me that you were a bit anxious at the idea of starting therapy. Can you tell me why?

Satine didn't respond. She shifted her gaze downwards, as if she was ashamed of being scared. Dr. Landon continued. "You know, it's alright if you were. A lot of people are scared about starting therapy. And from what Christian told me, I can see why you would be. But I can promise you that I am never going to do anything to hurt you. Ok?" Satine nodded. This doctor was certainly a lot nicer than the ones she had dealt with in the past. 

Dr. Landon looked at his notepad and continued. "Now, you know that we're here to talk about these nightmares of yours. I already know what they're about, and I already know what happened to you when you were ten. That's half our battle right there, knowing what is causing the dreams. What I need to find out is why that night still scares you so much, because although you have been through a traumatic event, something like the past couple nights shouldn't still be happening-especially when you have so many good things going on right now.

Satine knew the doctor was right. She wanted to know why she was scared just as badly as he did. Dr. Landon began asking her questions. "Now Satine, the fact that you're still holding onto this fear leads me to believe that that night was not the first time something really scary happened to you. So I want you to think back for me-to before you were ten. Did anything else happen that was really scary?

Satine immediately nodded. "Can you tell me what it was?" Dr. Landon asked. Satine took a deep breath. "When I was nine, I was with my motherÉwe were just going for a walk. It was only about two months before I was attacked. Anyway, we were walking back to our house, when someoneÉhe jumped out of a tree and grabbed my motherÉhe had a knifeÉI heard her scream but I didn't know what to do. I tried calling for help, but no one answered. I was scared to leave. He killed her. " Satine said as she started to cry. She quickly stopped and looked at the doctor for a response. 

Dr. Landon extended a hand to Satine. He could see that she was trying very hard not to cry. "Satine, it's perfectly alright to cry here, ok? Now, were you and your mother very close?" he asked. Satine nodded. "She and I were so much alike. I never got along well with my father, but with mommy it was differentÉwe always knew what the other one wanted. She was like my best friend." Satine had stopped trying to hold in the tears.

Christian saw Satine in a new way. Looking at her on the couch, he no longer saw the "sparkling diamond" or even his own diamond. He saw a scared little girl, wanting nothing more than her mommy. All he wanted to do was to hold her on his lap while she cried. It was no wonder that Satine had never mentioned her family before. Christian gently rubbed Satine's shoulder. 

Dr. Landon was almost done for the day, but he had one more thing to cover. "Satine, that night when you were attacked. I want you to think back for me. Was it the same man who attacked your mom that attacked you?" Satine thought for a minute. "I'm not sure. I never saw his faceÉit was really dark andÉ" Satine was crying too hard now to speak. 

Dr. Landon stood up and put his notepad away. "Alright, I think we're done for today. You did really well today, Satine. I think you deserve a little reward. This may seem strange to give to a twenty-three-year-old, but hereÉ" he said as he handed Satine a small lollipop. Satine took the candy, and Christian stood to see the doctor out. 

When Christian came back into the living room, Satine was sitting on the couch, crying, sucking on her lollipop. Christian sat beside her and gently put his arms around her. Like he had done so many times before that week, he rocked her from side to side while stroking her hair. "Baby, it's ok. It's all going to be ok. I promise" he said softly. They stayed there for quite awhile. Christian didn't want to let go of Satine. She was so scared, and so fragile. He had never seen her like this before. He pulled her close to him, and whispered "It will all be over soon. " He hoped he was right, for both their sakes. 


	5. A Nice Story

Therapy 

Chapter Five: A Nice StoryÉ Disclaimer: I don't own Moulin Rouge 

A.N. Thanks for the good reviews! This chapter is very very important!

Over the next three weeks, Satine continued her sessions with Dr. Landon. Of course, Christian was always with her. As much as it hurt him to see Satine in such a fragile emotional state, part of him really was interested in learning about Satine's past. She had been so secretive about it for so long (although, could she really be blamed for that?) and knowing about her past helped Christian to understand his diamond much better. 

Dr. Landon's major concern seemed to be finding out why Satine had let the event traumatize her for thirteen years. They spent the next few sessions discussing her life after the attack; more importantly, her time at the Moulin Rouge. Dr. Landon had been a bit shocked to learn that Satine was a courtesan. Somehow, the fragile woman who broke down in tears every week didn't seem to fit the profile of the "sparkling diamond". For one particular session, her time at the Moulin, more specifically her last month or so, took the spotlight. 

"So Satine, you really worked at the Moulin Rouge?" Dr. Landon asked again. He didn't know why he had such a hard time believing it. 

Satine nodded. "From when I was twelve until about six and a half months ago. About ten and a half years." Satine looked at Dr. Landon. This was probably the fifth time she had answered that question. 

Dr. Landon looked at his notes from the previous session. "And you left six and a half months ago. What convinced you to leave?" In Dr. Landon's mind, it was possible that Satine had been forced to leave due to her nightmares. After all, a man looking for a "one-night stand" wouldn't have been very compassionate towards Satine's nightmares. Instead, she simply answered "I was sick. I had consumption. If I stayed in Paris I would have died.

Dr. Landon wrote this down and continued. "And what about Christian? Where does he come into the picture? Did you meet after you left the Moulin?" Dr. Landon, at this point, assumed that Christian and Satine had met under slightly more normal circumstances than ending up inside an elephant together. 

Once again Satine surprised him with her answer. "No, we met at the Moulin. Actually, it's a nice story. You see, we were in the process of turning the Moulin Rouge into a real theater. We had everything we needed except for one thing-funding. So Harold, the owner, had found a richÉ" Satine had a hard time finishing the sentence. She hadn't even thought about the Duke until then. She wanted him as far from her mind as possible. 

Dr. Landon looked anxious to hear the rest of the story, so Christian continued it for Satine. "He knew of a rich duke who might have held interest in investing in the show. As it turns out, we both attended the Moulin Rouge for the first time that evening. I was there trying to get the job of writer for the first show the theater would put on. Well, Satine mistook me for the Duke, and the two of us ended up inside the elephant

Now Dr. Landon was completely confused. "An elephant?" he asked. Satine continued the story. "Yes, at the Moulin Rouge my, um, living quarters were in a building shaped like an elephant. Anyway, one thing led to another that night, and Christian and I fell in love. But the Duke thought I was in love with him, and wanted to keep me all to himself." 

Dr. Landon suddenly picked up his notepad. Maybe there was something in this story that was causing Satine to hold on to her fear. He urged them to continue, and Christian took the next leg of the story. 

"For awhile, it was easy for Satine and I to sneak around the Duke. She being the lead actress and I the head writer, we always had the convenient excuse of rehearsing. However, the Duke eventually found out about our relationship. Satine tried to convince him that it was nothing by spending a night with him, but he saw through her act. That night, the DukeÉ" Christian's voice trailed off. He looked at Satine. One of them had to say it, and Christian didn't want to put Satine through any more pain. He took a deep breath and finished. "tried to rape Satine. 

Dr. Landon paid extra close attention to the last part of the story. "So that was the second time you were attacked like that?" he asked Satine. She simply nodded. "Is that when you left?" he asked. Satine shook her head no. "We stayed until the opening night of the show. That night I collapsed backstage and was told I had to leave Paris or I would die." Satine was crying from memories of her multiple attacks. 

Dr. Landon looked at his watch. "Well, you were right. That was a very interesting story. Although, I never did picture you two meeting inside an elephantÉ" Satine couldn't help but giggle at this. Dr. Landon stood up and put his notepad back in his bag. He showed himself out, leaving Satine and Christian alone in the living room. 

That night, Satine's nightmare came to plague her yet again. There he was, coming closer and closer. But this time, something was different. Suddenly, Satine realized what it was. The attacker was no longer a shadow. After thirteen years, he finally had a face. 

Her attacker was the Duke. .


	6. Returning Memories

Therapy 

Chapter Six: Returning Memories

Disclaimer: I don't own Moulin Rouge

Satine sat upright in bed, startled by her sudden realization. All along, her attacker had been the Duke! Satine was sure that the dream was not a result of talking about the Duke that day with Dr. Landon, as many people would assume. It all made sense now. When the Duke and Satine first met, he gave her an uneasy feeling. Of course, he gave everyone an uneasy feeling, what with having an armed guard follow him around. But the feeling Satine got from him was different. This fear was almost, familiar. She knew when she saw the Duke at the Moulin Rouge that that night was not their first meeting. And she had been correct. 

As these thoughts raced through her mind, Satine began to pant heavily. Soon her panting turned into whimpers and her whimpers into sobs, which in turn woke up Christian. Christian opened his eyes to once again see Satine sitting up in bed crying. He pulled himself up to a sitting position and gently stroked her hair. 

"It's ok, Satine. Don't cry. It was only a dream. Your safe now." Christian whispered. Satine looked at him. How could she tell him what she just saw? "Christian, I knowÉI sawÉChristian, he had a face this time!" she finally managed to get out. Christian's mouth opened and his eyes widened. "Who was it, Satine?" he asked. He desperately wanted to know who had caused his diamond so much pain. Satine hesitated for a moment, and then answered him. 

"It was the Duke". 

Christian looked at her. "Are you sure? Couldn't it have just been that you talked about him today? How could he have raped you when you were ten, we met him when we were at the

Satine stopped him. "Christian, it really was him. It all makes perfect sense. The Duke was a family "friend"-in actuality he was merely a rich man who my father was doing home remodeling for. The Duke had constantly been in my house for months before my mother's death. After awhile, he developed a rather unhealthy fixation with me. Whenever I would walk in the room, he would stare at me in such a way that it made me want to run as far away as I could. My mother, however, caught wind of it and banished him from the house. After my mother's death, my father began contacting him again. It was him, Christian. It really was! He did it!

Christian did a quick math count in his head. The Duke had been roughly 35 years old when Satine had been at the Moulin Rouge. Satine was 23 now, so that would make the Duke 22 when Satine was ten. It was possible that the Duke would have raped Satine. Christian put his arms around Satine. This was most defiantly the breakthrough that Dr. Landon had been looking for. 

The next day, Christian and Satine sat in the living room with Dr. Landon. Normally, he only came once a week but Christian thought that this was information Dr. Landon had to know as soon as possible. 

"Well, Christian, what is this important information?" Dr. Landon asked. Satine answered instead of Christian. 

"Well, you know how I always say that the man in my dreams has no face? That he's simply a shadow?" Dr. Landon nodded and Satine continued. "Well, last night he had a face. It was the Duke.

"The Duke?" Dr. Landon had to take a moment to remember who the Duke was. "Oh, the Duke from the Moulin Rouge. Well, I could have seen that coming!" he said. Satine and Christian were confused. 

"You see, now it makes sense that Satine would still be so traumatized by that night. This Duke also tried to rape Satine when you two lived in Paris. Christian, you said that the one night you spent with Satine in Paris, she didn't show any signs of nightmares. Was that before or after the attempted rape?" he asked. 

"Before". Christian answered. Dr. Landon continued. "That's what I suspected. Before the Duke attacked Satine for the second time, Satine was able to sleep and had moved on with her life. After the second attack, the memories were brought back to the surface. Of course, with her illness, she probably had other things on her mind while you two were living in Derby, which explains why she had no nightmares there.

"Well, how do we get the nightmares to stop?" asked Christian. He had noticed that despite all of the information that he had about Satine, Dr. Landon had not been able to give them a remedy for her nightmares. 

"It's very simple, really.", said Dr. Landon. "Satine needs to know that the Duke is not going to come back. What I suggest doing is writing your friends in Montmartre. Ask what happened to the Duke, and tell them what Satine just told me. Surely they can help with getting the Duke arrested." 

Christian nodded and thanked Dr. Landon. He and Satine went upstairs to write to Harold. Of all people, he would know the Duke's whereabouts. Christian sat down at his typewriter and began his letter. 

Dear Harold

Hello, and how is everyone back in Paris? You will be happy to know that Satine has completely recovered from her consumption, and we are now living in London. 

However, not everything has been going well. Satine has been suffering from repeated nightmares. We've been seeing a therapist, and have discovered the source of the problem. You see, Satine was raped as a young girl, although I'm sure you knew that already. That is what her nightmares were about. However, until last night she couldn't remember who had attacked her. Last night she once again woke up crying and told me her attacker had been the Duke. 

Our therapist has suggested seeking your help in getting the Duke arrested, if he is still in Paris. If he is not and you know where he has gone, please let us know. 

Thank you in advance,

Christian and Satine

Later that day, Christian mailed the letter. He hoped that the Duke would be arrested quickly and this would all be over. 


	7. Nowhere Near Over

Therapy 

Chapter Seven: Nowhere Near Over

A.N. Thanks for all the good reviews-they keep me so motivated! 

Disclaimer: I don't own Moulin Rouge

About a week had passed since Christian had sent the letter to Harold. Satine and Christian had been walking on eggshells the entire time. So you can imagine their relief when they received a reply from him in the mail. At least, they felt relieved before they opened it. The letter read

Dear Christian: 

First of all, congratulations to Satine on beating her consumption. However, I am so sorry to hear about Satine's recent nightmares. I guess I should have told you about her past before you left. I thought her nightmares had subsided, but I guess I was wrong. She had them quite often when she first came to the Moulin. 

With regards to the Duke, it doesn't surprise me at all that he was Satine's attacker. I completely agree that he should be arrested as soon as possible. However, he has since left Paris. We are not sure where he has gone, but I have informed the authorities here and they have contacted surrounding areas. If he is found within fifty miles of here, he will be arrested. He was a pretty well known duke, so it shouldn't take long to find him. 

Christian and Satine let me assure both of you that you are perfectly safe. We all miss you here. 

Harold. 

Satine had been holding the letter. She dropped it on the floor and started shaking. Her face became even paler than usual, and she dropped to her knees. "Christian, he's out there somewhere!" she said. "He could find us, Christian." 

Christian gently pulled Satine back to her feet. "It's ok. He's not going to find us. Harold said that they had people looking for him for miles around. He will be caught, Satine." He had a hard time believing himself. The news had scared him as well. He had been hoping to hear that the Duke had been found and arrested in Paris. But he knew he had to be strong for Satine. 

Over the next few days, Christian and Satine tried hard to live their lives as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. However, it was obvious to anyone who saw them that they were both nervous wrecks. The one thing that kept them both from losing it was the support they got from the town. 

It was to Christian's surprise when he went out to buy groceries and received good wishes from the other shoppers, some of whom he had never met before. Word had spread through the town about the Duke. With him being a British duke, he had been pretty well known, although not necessarily well liked. Most people were not surprised to hear what he had done. The search for the Duke was now not only for the fifty miles surrounding the Moulin Rouge, but had also spread to several surrounding French provinces. Also, a warning had been posted in London and in surrounding suburbs, including Derby. 

The more warnings that went up, the more hope Satine and Christian had that the Duke would be captured. In fact, things were almost getting back to normal, with the exception of Satine's nightmares. However, she no longer had such severe reactions as when they first started, and Christian thought she was on her way to getting better. 

Then one day, all that changed. It was an average day. Christian and Satine had just finished having lunch. For once, they had made it through a meal without discussing the Duke, or her nightmares. After they had finished eating, Satine went into the living room. Christian stayed behind in the dining room, thinking about how nice it was to finally have a normal life. Suddenly, he was pulled out of his thoughts by a loud cry. He cursed himself for staying behind. He should have known that life was not normal yet. Christian ran into the living room to see Satine collapsed on the floor, sobbing and screaming. It was very similar to what he had seen the first night she had her nightmare. However, this time her screams were not of "Stop" or "No". This time, she was screaming for her mother. 

"Mommy, please! Wake up! You can't leave me! Please, you can't leave me with him!" Christian realized that Satine was having a flashback to the night her mother was killed. 

Dr. Landon had warned Christian about flashbacks after their first session. He had described them as sort of daytime nightmares. Apparently, they could happen suddenly, without any sort of warning, and that the best thing to do was to react in the same way as when she had a nightmare. With Satine still screaming on the floor, Christian knelt down next to her. By now, she was in a kneeling position. Christian put his hand on her shoulder. 

"Satine, it's ok" he said, gently pulling her back into reality. She turned her head and looked at him, and then threw herself into him while continuing to sob. "I want her back, Christian. I want my mommy" she choked out, the last line sounding like it had come from a small child being left at school for the first time. Christian didn't know what to do. He knew Satine wanted something that he couldn't possibly give her. "And I promised to give her everythingÉ" he thought to himself. He lifted Satine off the floor and sat on the couch with her on his lap. Gently, he rubbed her back as he sang softly in her ear.

_When you feel all alone_

_And the world has turned its back on you_

_Give me a moment please to tame your wild wild heart_

_I know you feel like the walls are closing in on you_

_It's hard to find relief and people can be so cold_

_When darkness is upon your door _

_And you feel like you can't take anymore_

_Let me be the one you call_

_If you jump I'll break your fall_

_Lift you up and fly away with you into the night_

_If you need to fall apart_

_I can mend a broken heart_

_If you need to crash then crash and burn_

_You're not alone_

_When you feel all alone_

_And a loyal friend is hard to find_

_You're caught in a one way street_

_With the monsters in your head_

_When hopes and dreams are far away and_

_You feel like you can't face the day_

_Let me be the one you call_

_If you jump I'll break your fall_

_Lift you up and fly away with you into the night_

_If you need to fall apart_

I can mend a broken heart 

_If you need to crash then crash and burn_

_You're not alone_

_Because there has always been heartache and pain_

_And when it's over you'll breathe again_

_You'll breathe again_

_When you feel all alone_

_And the world has turned its back on you_

_Give me a moment please_

_To tame your wild wild heart_

_Let me be the one you call_

_If you jump I'll break your fall_

_Lift you up and fly away with you into the night_

_If you need to fall apart_

_I can mend a broken heart_

_If you need to crash then crash and burn_

_You're not alone_

Christian had hoped that Satine would fall asleep, but instead his song had only managed to turn her loud sobbing into quiet whimpers. She lifted her head and looked at him, tears still streaming down her face. "I'm so tired, Christian" she said. No sooner had she gotten the words out than Christian picked her up and carried her upstairs to their bedroom. He tucked her into bed and kissed her forehead before getting into bed himself. "I love you, angel" he said as he turned off the light. Softly, Satine replied "I love you too.

Satine wasn't sure what made her get out of bed that night. It wasn't a nightmare. She could have sworn that she heard something. Maybe it was the loud party going on a few houses down the street. Anyway, Satine decided as long as she was up, she might as well go downstairs for a while. She slowly walked down the stairs and into the living room. 

It was pitch black in the living room, so she didn't see him standing there. She didn't notice him until she felt the cold hand grab her across the mouth, stifling her scream. She felt a sharp pain in her legs, and they gave out, leaving her in the perfect position to be dragged out of the house by her now three-time attacker. As her mouth was now unobstructed, she began to scream at the top of her lungs. She screamed louder and louder as she was dragged deeper and deeper into the woods behind her house. "Not again! Dear God, not again!" she thought to herself as she continued to scream.

Back at the house, Christian heard the scream. He looked at the bed to see Satine was gone. He knew that she was in trouble. He leapt out of bed and ran downstairs, following the screams. He had to find his diamond. 


	8. Late Night Rescues

Therapy 

Chapter 8: Late Night Rescues

Disclaimer: I don't own Moulin Rouge

A. N. Thanks for all the good reviews! By the way, I forgot to put the title of the song I used at the end of last chapter. It was Crash and Burn by Savage Garden.

Christian ran down the stairs and out the back door of the house. He heard Satine's screams drifting farther and farther away, but he could hear them nonetheless. He followed the sound of her voice into the woods, unfazed by the darkness. His love for Satine was all the light he needed. He would find her. He had to find her. 

Meanwhile, the Duke had found the perfect spot. Completely deserted, there wasn't another person around for miles. Or so he thought. "Now we can do this the easy way, or the hard way," he said as he moved closer to Satine. It was a scene all too familiar to her. Once again, she was being attacked in the woods. Only now, she wasn't the ten-year-old daughter of an uncaring widower. She had Christian. He would save her. The Duke moved even closer, and Satine struggled to get away. This angered the Duke, and he slammed Satine into a large rock. Satine let out a blood-curdling scream. 

Not too far away, the scream reached Christian's ears. Although he knew it meant that Satine was in pain, he was almost relieved to hear it, as it was loud enough to direct him to where Satine was. He found her and the Duke behind a nearby bush. 

"You monster! Get away from her!" he yelled. The Duke turned and looked at him. He sneered at Christian. "Oh, well if it isn't the penniless poet come to save his precious courtesan. Back off, writer. She's mine. I went through all the trouble of killing her mother just so I could have her, and I intend to

The Duke didn't have time to finish his sentence. Christian charged him, and for a moment it looked as though the two men were going to be in a heated battle. Suddenly, something caught Christian's eye. Satine was still lying by the rock. She was still conscious, but barely. The Duke didn't deserve his attention right now. He had to take care of Satine. 

Christian knelt down near the rock. "Satine, baby can you hear me? Are you alright?" he asked softly. Satine opened her eyes. She looked relieved to see Christian. Now it could all be over. Christian gently stroked her hair for a moment before feeling a sharp pain on his shoulder. 

"I hate to break up this tearful reunion, but you happen to be touching my personal property!" the Duke exclaimed. "And I don't take kindly to people touching my thingsÉ" He moved in closer and closer. Suddenly, a bright light came through the bushes. "Over here, I found them!" an unknown voice cried out. Two police officers and two other men came forward. One of the men spoke. "See, officer? I told you I saw him!" His gaze shifted to Satine. "That there is the girl he kidnapped." While one officer dealt with arresting the Duke, the other knelt next to Satine and Christian. "Miss, are you alright?" Satine shook her head. She had been asked that question so many times. She wished she could answer yes and mean it. 

Satine turned her head to Christian. "Take me home, Christian. I just want to go home." Christian looked at the officer, who nodded. "That's probably best. I would call for a doctor in the morning, but let her get some rest first," he said. 

Christian lifted Satine off the ground, and carried her back towards their house. He spoke softly to her the entire way, just to let her know that he was there. When he got her back inside, he carried her to the bedroom. He laid her on the bed, and knelt down next to it. Satine, who had closed her eyes for the entire journey home, opened them and looked at him. "ChristianÉIt hurts! It hurts so bad!

Christian was unsure of what to do. He just wanted to make it all go away, but he knew that he couldn't. He felt so helpless. "Why can't we just be happy?" he thought to himself. He reached up and touched Satine's face. "I know, baby. The doctor is coming in the morning. Just try and get some rest until then, ok?" Satine nodded, and Christian climbed on the bed next to her. He rubbed her shoulders, which were starting to show their bruises, until she fell asleep. Eventually he fell asleep himself, not because he wanted to but from sheer exhaustion. 

Christian's sleep didn't last long. He woke up about four hours later and felt an overwhelming relief when he saw Satine in his arms. Her face was stained with tears, as it had been for quite a while now. Christian had become quite used to seeing her cry, even though it hurt him to see her upset. Although it may have seemed strange, Christian always felt that the moment he realized how deep his love for Satine was had been when he first saw her cry. Suddenly, Christian felt something he hadn't felt in a long time. For the first time in over a month, he felt the desire to write. He moved the typewriter to the bed, so he wouldn't have to leave Satine's side, and wrote down the words that had come into his head. 

_I'll always remember_

_It was late afternoon_

_It lasted forever_

_And ended too soon_

_You were all by yourself_

_Staring up at a dark gray sky_

_I was changed_

_In places no one would find_

_All your feelings so deep inside_

_It was then that I realized_

_That forever was in your eyes_

_The moment I saw you cry_

_The moment that I saw you cry_

_It was late in september_

_And I've seen you before _

_You were always the cold one_

_But i was never that sure_

_You were all by yourself_

_Staring at a dark gray sky_

_I was changed_

_In places no one would find_

All your feelings so deep inside ****

_It was then that I realized_

_That forever was in your eyes_

_The moment I saw you cry_

Christian looked over at Satine, who had let out a cry. His feelings from the previous night took hold of him as he finished.

_I wanted to hold you_

_i wanted to make it go away_

_I wanted to know you_

_I wanted to make your everything, all right...._

_I'll always remember..._

_It was late afternoon..._

_In places no one would find..._

_In places no one would find_

_All your feelings so deep inside (deep inside)_

_It was then that I realized_

_That forever was in your eyes_

_The moment I saw you cry_

A.N. The song is "Cry" by Mandy Moore from A Walk to Remember. Please review. The next chapter will be up soon!


	9. Mending a Diamond

Therapy Chapter Nine: Mending a Diamond 

Disclaimer: I don't own Moulin Rouge

Satine woke up to the sound of the keys on Christian's typewriter. She looked around for a moment. She was home. For that brief moment, everything was all right. 

But the sharp pain throughout her body was a quick reminder that her life was far from all right. She moaned a little. Almost every part of her was in pain. Christian looked up when he heard her moan. "Hey, how are you?" he asked, although he already knew the answer. 

"Christian, everything hurts! Please, just make it go away!" Even though Satine knew deep down that Christian couldn't make her pain go away, part of her hoped that he could. He had always made everything else better. Christian gently kissed her forehead. "I wish I could, baby. The doctor should be here soon, he'll make the hurt go away," he said. 

Even though Christian knew that the doctor would help Satine's physical pain, he also knew that her emotional pain, however bad it was before, must have increased immensely. He doubted that the doctor who would be at their door any moment would be able to make that go away. 

Christian heard a knock at the door, and hesitantly left Satine to answer it. As he expected, it was the doctor. Christian let him in and led him to the bedroom. The doctor had a few questions for Christian as they walked up the stairs. 

"So, how has she been doing? Has she complained of any physical pain?

Christian nodded. "She says that everything hurts." He opened the door to the bedroom. The doctor looked at Satine lying on the bed. It was obvious that she was in a lot of pain. He looked at Christian. "I'm going to need you to help me. Satine may be a little scared about me trying to examine her, so you have to keep her calm.

To say that Satine was a little scared could have been the understatement of the century. As soon as the doctor's hand came within three feet of her, Satine tried to move away. "No" she screamed. She couldn't move very far with her broken body, so she just stayed where she was and screamed. "No, please! Christian, don't let him hurt me! I don't want to hurt anymore!" 

Christian, from his position next to Satine on the bed, tried to calm her down. "Baby, I promise the doctor is not going to hurt you. The doctor is going to make the hurting stop. I'll be right here the whole time.

Satine trusted Christian and calmed down enough to let the doctor examine her, though she had a fearful expression on her face throughout the entire exam. She let out a yelp when the doctor touched her legs. Her legs hurt more than anything. 

The doctor finished his exam and looked at Christian. "Well, she took quite a beating. Almost every part of her body took a hit, so she's going to be really sore for a few days. But what I'm most worried about are her legs." He shifted his gaze to Satine. 

"Satine, from what I heard, you were thrown into a rock after being dragged into the woods, right?" he asked. Satine nodded. Why wouldn't he just make the pain go away? "Did your legs get hurt before that?" The doctor's question's continued. Satine nodded again. "Yes, the Duke knocked out my legs so he could drag me. Please, just make it stop hurting!" Satine was practically begging the doctor. "Just as I suspected. Her legs were more severely injured than the rest of her body. From what it looks like now, I would have to assume that both of them are broken. Also, she may have torn some muscle tissue in one or both of her legs, which is intensifying the pain. I'm afraid it's going to be a long time before Satine can walk again. She's going to have to stay in bed to make sure her legs heal correctly. Also, the rest of her will be very weak. I think a lot of the pain is coming from injured muscle." The doctor took some pills out of his bag. He grabbed the glass of water from the nightstand and held it in front of Satine. "These will help make the pain go away," he said. Satine willingly took the pills. She hadn't heard much of what the doctor had told Christian. Something about broken legs and injured muscle. The medication kicked in fast, and made Satine very drowsy. She fell asleep, and got some much-needed rest. 

Satine woke up about six hours later. The pain wasn't completely gone, but it had dulled quite a bit. Christian was still sitting next to her. "Hey, how's that medicine working? Do you still hurt?" he asked. Satine smiled, something she hadn't done in quite awhile. She wanted to let Christian know that she would be fine. "Yes, but not as much. Christian, before when the doctor was here, what did he say?" she asked. Christian hesitated. He knew what the doctor had said would not make Satine happy. 

"Well angel, he said that both of your legs are broken and the muscles in them may be torn. That's why they hurt the most. He also thinks that the rest of your muscles may be hurt as well," he said. "So how do I get better?" asked Satine. Christian hesitated again. "He said you have to stay in bed to make sure your legs heal correctly, and that you're going to be very weak and sore for awhile.

"Oh." Satine took the news better than Christian thought she would. While it wasn't exactly what she wanted to hear, she swore to herself that she wouldn't cry. She was sick and tired of crying at everything. For once, she wanted to be strong. 

But at the same time, the news was a blow. Satine hated one thing, and that was being helpless. She always felt guilty when Christian would sit up through the night with her while she cried, or when he would spend hours on the couch holding her after a flashback. And now she was not only emotionally weak, but she was physically weak as well. She was completely dependent on others. And she hated that. 

She had no other choice, so Satine succumbed to being trapped in her own bedroom. For the next three weeks, Satine spent all of her time in bed. As much as she hated it, she soon realized that she couldn't do anything alone anymore. One day about two weeks after her attack, Satine decided that even if she wasn't going anywhere, she still might as well look nice. She reached for her hairbrush on the nightstand, but was shocked to find that she could no longer lift its metal frame. "I can't pick up my own hairbrush" she thought to herself. I really am in bad shape.

Satine knew that her road to recovery would be long, but she also knew that with Christian by her side she would be fine. 


	10. Emotional Healing

Therapy Chapter Ten: Emotional Healing A/N: Thanks for the good reviews! Disclaimer: I don't own Moulin Rouge 

A few more weeks passed. Gradually, Satine's upper body got stronger. This was mostly because of Satine's determination. Although neither the doctor nor Christian had suggested it, Satine would sit for at least half an hour every day, just trying to do simple things. First it was simply lifting up her hairbrush. Then she had moved to lifting a glass of water. While her arm was still too shaky to actually drink the water, she was at least able to pick up the glass. Although she hated to admit it, that was an achievement. 

Of course, Satine had not been alone. Christian doted on her twenty-four/seven. At first, Satine had not been able to lift food to her mouth. Christian was there with her, feeding her every meal. When her muscles ached too much for her too sleep, he sat up and kept her company. Satine had to admit, if she had to be completely dependent on someone, she was glad it was Christian. 

The doctor had visited a few times to check up on how Satine was doing. After she showed him that she could lift a glass of water, he was impressed. "I didn't expect this to go so quickly!" he said. "I think you gained a significant amount of your muscle strength back". 

"Then why can't I actually drink the water? Every time I try, I end up moving my arm the wrong way and spilling it on myself" Satine asked. The doctor continued. "Well, that is the second part of this process. Muscle control. You haven't used the muscles in your arm for a long time. They are going to be a bit shaky. But here's the good news-Christian, you can start helping her learn to walk again

Satine's face lit up. It didn't matter that the doctor had said, "learn to walk again." meaning she would be dependent on Christian for a while longer. All she heard was "walk again". "When can I start?" she asked excitedly. 

"We can start right now, if you want. I would actually like to start you while I'm here, so Christian can see how to do this." the doctor said. Christian lifted Satine out of the bed and followed the doctor to the other side of the room, where there was no furniture to block Satine's path. 

"Now, Christian", the doctor instructed, "there are two ways to do this. The first way may be a bit inconvenient for you; this is to have one person hold her up and have Satine slowly move towards another person. However, since you two live here by yourselves, I'm going to show you a second way that you can do with just Satine and yourself. First, stand Satine up and hold her waist." Christian did so and the doctor continued his instructions. "First, we need to see if you can stand under your own power. Christian, I want you to slowly let go of Satine." Christian slowly took his hands off her waist. Satine wobbled a bit, but managed to stay standing. 

The doctor continued. "Now Satine, I want you to, very slowly, try and take a step. It doesn't have to be big, just try to move your leg." Satine closed her eyes and started to move her right leg. She didn't move very much; her foot only moved about a half an inch. Even so, she was proud of herself. That was half an inch more than she had moved her legs in weeks. She caught her left foot up to her right, and looked at the doctor. 

"Very good, Satine. Now, just keep doing that. Christian, here is what you have to do. Walk alongside Satine, keeping one arm in front of her and one hand either on her back or shoulder. For this first try, I want Satine to take ten steps, just like the one she just took. Are you ready?" The doctor looked at Satine, who nodded. Christian got in position, and Satine started to walk. Granted, at only half an inch a step, she wasn't getting very far. But she was walking. Christian watched her and breathed a sigh of relief. "She's getting better," he thought to himself. 

After Satine had taken her ten steps, the doctor instructed Christian on how much walking Satine should be doing. "Tomorrow, have her try fifteen. Then twenty steps the next day, twenty-five the day after, and so on. She seems to be doing very well, so I don't think increasing by five will pose a problem. Also, keep working on her muscle control in her arms." After saying good-bye the doctor left. Christian walked back over to Satine, who was sitting in bed, beaming from ear to ear. As he got closer to her, Satine looked at him and said "I really did it, Christian! I really started to walk again!" 

The two of them spent the rest of the night talking and laughing, like the old days before any of this started happening. For the first time since her attack, Satine found it easy to fall asleep. 

_It was a beautiful day. It was sunny, but not too warm. Best of all, she was standing. Alone. She was outside, all by herself and she wasn't scared. She didn't need to collapse into anyone's arms. Nothing could hurt her. Suddenly, clouds started gathering. Wind started to blow. The perfect day seemed to collapse around her as her world once again became dark and threatening. But she was still standing, and she wasn't going to collapse. _

_The wind began to take on voices. First she heard her father, in a drunken fit screaming at her that her rape would ruin him. She then heard the therapist she had when she was 12, telling her how her rape had been her fault. Then the wind took on Harold's voice. "We're all relying on you, gosling_

_ They were relying on her, and she had let them down. It was her fault that her father's reputation had been ruined. It was her fault she ended up at the Moulin Rouge, and it was her fault that the Moulin Rouge probably went bankrupt after she left. The voices were correct. Everything had been her fault. No wonder she had to endure so much pain. She couldn't take it anymore. She dropped to her knees and silently began to cry. _

_ Suddenly, she heard a new voice. Not new, actually. She had heard this voice before. She looked up as she heard her mother, singing her favorite childhood lullaby. _

_There's a hero_

_If you look inside your heart_

_You don't have to be afraid_

_Of what you are_

_There's an answer_

_If you reach into your soul_

_And the sorrow that you know_

_Will melt away_

_And then a hero comes along_

_With the strength to carry on_

_And you cast your fears aside_

_And you know you can survive_

_So when you feel like hope is gone_

_Look inside you and be strong_

_And you'll finally see the truth_

_That a hero lies in you_

_ She felt comforted by the song. For a moment, everything was alright. Suddenly, a strong gust blew away her mother's voice with three horrible words. _

_"She is mine_

_ Now she was frightened. She looked around franticly, and heard a voice in the distance, coming closer. _

_"Come what may_

_ As the voice drew closer, the world around her grew lighter and less ominous. She was safe. When Christian reached her side, Satine didn't collapse into his arms. She didn't cry; she had nothing to cry about. Everything was alright._

Satine woke from her dream. Although it was hard for her to believe, she had just had a dream that didn't leave her cowering in a corner. She smiled to herself. "I'm going to be ok.", she thought. "I'm going to get better." It was the first time she had thought that to herself. She knew Christian had always believed it, but now she believed it too.

Slowly, she drifted back to sleep, having just taken her first steps on the road to recovery. 


	11. Seeing the Light

Therapy Chapter Eleven: Seeing The Light 

A.N. Thanks for all the good reviews! Sorry this chapter took so long to get up! By the way, I received one review asking me about the weird E at the end of words. That E is not something I intentionally put; it replaces an ellipsis (three periods in a row) whenever I upload a chapter. This story has a lot of these because I use an ellipsis quite often in Satine's dialogue-since she's crying a lot of the time, her sentences are broken up. I don't know how to fix the weird E. 

Disclaimer: I don't own Moulin Rouge.

A week had passed, and Satine's legs were getting stronger and stronger. By now, she could walk across the room without Christian's help. 

Christian noticed that her physical strength was not all that was improving. She was becoming emotionally stronger as well. Not once in the past week had she broken down in tears. She had not had any more nightmares or flashbacks. And what relieved Christian the most was the laughing. 

At first, it had seemed forced, as though Satine was trying to make Christian less worried. But over time, Satine's laugh had become more genuine. Now, her laughing never seemed to stop, not that Christian wanted it to. After months of only hearing her cry, it was wonderful to hear her laugh again. 

Now that Satine was able to walk again, she was continuing her sessions with Dr. Landon. The sessions had been halted while Satine had recovered from her injuries. Dr. Landon could see a change in Satine immediately. She seemed more alert, more in tune with what was going on around her. 

"Well, Satine, you are looking better. I was expecting things to become worse after what happened, but you seem to have improved since I last saw you. Tell me, have you had that nightmare at all since what happened?" he asked. 

Instead of staring downwards, as she had done before, Satine looked straight at his face as she answered. "No.

Dr. Landon seemed surprised by this. He had expected her nightmares to increase after the attack. "Really? Not at all?" he asked. 

"Well, I still have dreams about the attacks, but not that particular one. And the dreams no longer scare me. I don't wake up crying anymore, and I fall back asleep quickly." Satine answered. Dr. Landon looked at Christian for support, and when Christian nodded in agreement, he smiled. "Well, I must say that I am very proud of you, Satine. You've made a big step in your recovery. I can see that something has changed in you, and I think I realize what it is. Now, you are putting effort into getting better. Before, when I first started seeing you, you relied very heavily on Christian for support. You seemed to want me to come in and just make everything better, which no one could have done. Of course, you can't really be blamed for that. But now, you are actually making yourself get better. I'm not sure what caused it, but it's wonderful. I would say that you are well on your way to being recovered. But remember, you don't have to be completely alone in this, either." Dr. Landon said.

At the end of the session, Dr. Landon left and Satine and Christian were alone in the room. Christian looked at Satine. She was looking out the window. She turned her head and looked at him. 

"Christian, do you realize we've lived here for over two months now and I still haven't been out of this house?" she said. It was true. Satine's first nightmare had happened the night they moved in. After that, Christian was afraid to take her anywhere, for fear she would have a flashback. He only left the house to buy food, and those trips were few and far between. He could see that two months of being trapped in a house was having a physical effect on Satine. Her normally pale skin was now almost pure white, as a result of not having gotten any sunlight for two months. "Would you like to go out?" he asked. Satine smiled and nodded. "Yes. Let's go now!" She jumped up and headed for the door. Christian couldn't help but smile at her newfound energy as he followed her. 

Christian and Satine spent most of the afternoon exploring their neighborhood. Satine was shocked to find that many of their neighbors knew about what had happened, and came up to her to congratulate her on being so brave. After all, the Duke's arrest had made headlines, and many people in the neighborhood knew that the victim described in the papers lived on their street. Satine was more than happy to meet the neighbors, but she wished they would stop talking to her about being attacked. They all talked to her like she was fragile, like the wrong phrase could make her collapse into a heap of tears. That was exactly what Satine was trying to get away from. She wanted to be normal. 

After Satine and Christian returned home, they sat down to dinner. In the middle of the meal, Satine looked at Christian and said "You know, I really miss everyone back in Paris. Do you think we could go there, just for a visit?

At first Christian had doubts about going. They had been warned before about returning to Paris because of Satine's health. However, he checked with the doctor and was told no harm could come of a simple visit. And so Satine and Christian prepared to return to Montmartre. 


	12. Reunions

Therapy Chapter Twelve: Reunions 

A/N: Thanks for all the positive reviews! It is really motivating, especially since I'm pretty new at this. 

Disclaimer: I don't own Moulin Rouge. 

"Come on, Satine! We have to go! Our train leaves at 10:15 and it's 9:00 already!" Christian called to Satine from the sidewalk. They were leaving today for their trip to Paris and Satine was taking her time getting ready. "I'll be down in a minute, Christian! I just have to make sure I have everything packed!" she called back down. 

Christian sighed. This was the fourth time Satine had done this. "Satine, we've been through this! You packed enough stuff for a four-month trip to Romania! I'm pretty sure you have everything you could ever need in these bags!" he said. "They certainly weigh enough!" he thought as he loaded them into the carriage that was taking them to the train station. 

Satine emerged from the house. She took a moment to adjust to the bright sunlight before joining Christian on the sidewalk. Christian did a quick check to make sure all the bags were there and they were on their way to the train station. 

Three hours later, they were on a train bound for Montmartre. It was the same train that had brought Christian there almost a year and a half ago. Christian returned from the dining car to find Satine looking out the window. She looked a little nervous. He sat down next to her. 

"Hey. How are you?" he asked. 

"Fine." Satine answered. 

"Really? You look a little nervous about something.

Satine sighed and looked at Christian. "I'm just a little nervous about seeing everyone again, that's all. I mean, I ruined their show when I left. I don't know what happened to everyone," she said. 

"Satine, we got a letter from Harold last week saying that everyone was fine. They'll be glad to see you again, believe me." Christian said as he kissed her cheek. 

As it turned out, Satine's fears were unfounded. As soon as the stepped off the train, Christian and Satine headed for Christian's old garret. Surprisingly, the hole in the ceiling remained. "Hello!" Christian called out. "Anybody up there?" 

Christian's calls were greeted by a familiar voice. "Cwistian! You're back!" There was the sound of footsteps down the stairs, and Toulouse burst into the apartment. "Oh, it's so good to have you back. And Satine, you're wooking wovely as always. Come, we must bring you to the Moulin! Harold is anxious to see you!" he said as he grabbed both Christian and Satine's arms and dragged them down the stairs. 

The Moulin Rouge looked just like it had before they left. It was still set up as a theater. Christian was curious to find out what had been performed there since he and Satine had left. Toulouse ran down a hallway, exclaiming "Harold! They're here!

Satine looked around. Everything was so similar to when she had worked there. It was a relief for her. Even in her absence, the Moulin Rouge theater was still running. Suddenly, Satine was pulled from her thoughts by another familiar voice. 

"Gosling!" 

Satine turned to see Harold, and couldn't help but run to him. Despite what he had done, he had been her father figure since she was twelve. "Harold, it's so good to see you again!

Harold looked at the woman who for years had been his "little sparrow". He knew all about what had happened to her since leaving Paris. He couldn't believe she was so, well, normal. She didn't seem to be scared at all. Harold wished that he didn't have such bad news to give her. 

"Gosling, you look wonderful! I'm so proud of you! And Christian, you're looking well yourself. Come, we have catching up to do!" Harold decided his news could wait until later. Christian, Satine, and Harold spent the night making small talk about what had been going on in Paris. The other performers at the Moulin Rouge had kept producing plays, with the girls alternating who played the lead role. While the plays were good, everyone missed their sparkling diamond and Christian's brilliant writing. As the performers were off that night, the theater remained empty. As Satine and Christian prepared to go back to the garret for some much-needed sleep, Harold pulled Satine into his office. He told Christian to go ahead, and Satine assured him that she would be fine. 

About twenty minutes later, Satine came back to the garret. She looked upset, and Christian noticed immediately. "What happened? What did Harold want?" he asked. 

Satine hesitated for a moment. "Harold received word yesterday from my father. Apparently he is very sick, probably from all the drinking, and wants to see me again," she said. 

"Well, what's so bad about seeing your father? I mean, I know you two didn't get along but

"He hit me, Christian." Satine said. She said it quite bluntly, as if she just wanted it to be out in the open. Christian stopped and stared at her. "He hit you?

Satine nodded, and sat down on the bed. She gave Christian a look that seemed to say, "Get comfortable, it's time for another one of my life stories." Christian sat down next to her as she spoke. He noticed that she hadn't been crying, which was a change. 

"When I said that my father and I didn't get along, that was an understatement. He hated me. He hated that I took my mother's attention away from him. He never wanted any children. I was a mistake to him, and he let me know it. He would hit me for everything I did wrong, and sometimes when I hadn't done anything wrong at all. Usually my mother would stop it before he hurt me too badly, but after she died, no one was around to protect me. After I was raped, my father was sure that being associated with me would ruin his reputation. That's why he sent me away.

Christian wasn't sure what to say. "Well, are you going to go and see him?" he asked. 

Satine thought for a moment. "I'm not sure. I'll sleep on it," she said. 

Later that night, after Christian was asleep, Satine walked out onto the small balcony outside the garret. She could see her former "home" across the way. She wondered who was living in there now. 

She thought of the night there that changed her life forever. A familiar song came to mind as she remembered the night she broke her golden rule. 

Why live life from dream to dream And dread the day when dreaming ends 

Satine sang softly to herself as she thought. Her father had hurt her in the past, but she wasn't a little girl anymore. Moreover, she had Christian now. She was no longer alone in her fight. Satine decided that she would go and visit her father. 


	13. Family Portrait

Therapy Chapter 13: Family Portrait Disclaimer: I don't own Moulin Rouge 

Two days later Satine stood in the hallway of a run-down apartment building. She looked at the paper in her hand. She was at the right place. This apartment was, according to Harold, where her father had taken residence after sending her to "therapy". Satine felt a draft and suddenly wished she had brought someone with her. When she told Christian about her plans to see her father he insisted on coming, but Satine had refused. This was something she had to do on her own. After all, she couldn't go through life clutching Christian's hand all the time. However, she did have a backup plan. Satine had found that Chocolate still worked at the Moulin Rouge, and she had asked him to wait in the hallway "in case something goes wrong." meaning in case her father got violent with her. With her bodyguard standing a few feet away, as not to be seen, Satine knocked on the door. 

She was surprised when a young woman, not much older than herself, answered the door. 

"Oh, hello. You must be Satine. Harold sent a message earlier that you were coming. I'm Jacquelyn, your father's nurse. Please, come in." she said. Satine did so and looked around the apartment. While it was not in complete shambles (most likely thanks to Jacquelyn) the apartment was a far cry from the house Satine remembered from her childhood. Jacquelyn directed her to the bedroom, and Satine took a deep breath. "If he needs a live-in nurse, he can't be well enough to hurt me." she thought as she walked to the door. 

The door was open a crack. Satine pushed it open farther and looked in the room. "Father?" she said, her voice barely audible. The man in the bed looked up, and seemed to recognize her. "Satine? You actually came to see me?" Her father seemed shocked that she was there. Satine nodded and made her way into the room. "Yes. Harold told me you were sick," she said. 

Her father sat up a bit. "Satine, I know how hard it must have been to come and see me again. I also know that I won't be here for much longer, so I'm taking care of some business; tying up some loose ends before I go," he said. "And my first task is to apologize to you." 

Satine looked at her father. Apologize? Her father never apologized for anything. Her father continued. "I'm sorry about hurting you during your childhood. I didn't hate you, or think of you as a mistake.

"Well, why did you hit me, then?" Satine was confused. 

"Satine, you probably don't remember this, but when you were about a year and a half old, your mother and I had a blood test done on you. There had been a lot of sickness and it was advised to test infants in hopes of catching the diseases early. We found out about your consumption through that test. Apparently, you can have it and show no symptoms for decades, which is what happened with you.

"So you hit me because I was sick?" Satine asked. 

"No, I hit you in hopes that you would leave, find some other family who could take care of you. But you didn't. After you were attacked that night, I wasn't sure what to do. I knew that place I sent you to was a holding room for the Moulin Rouge. I'd known Harold for a long time, and told him to take you in and take care of you. Satine, it's my fault. It's my fault you ended up at the Moulin Rouge. It's my fault you were attacked. I should have never started talking to that Duke again after your mother died! And it's my fault you ended up with consumption-it runs in families, you know.

At first, Satine wasn't sure what her father meant by this. Then, he shot up and launched into a coughing fit that was all too familiar to her. After the coughs had stopped, he looked at her and said, "You were lucky to get away and be cured. I wasn't so lucky." 

He looked at her. "Satine, I'm really sorry for all the pain I've caused you," he said. He then started to chough again. The nurse ran into the room. "I think you'd better leave. He's having another spell," she said. Satine nodded and left the apartment, unsure of how to feel. She saw Chocolate sitting in the hallway and motioned to him that it was time to leave. "How did it go?" he asked. 

"I'm not sure," Satine said. 

She walked back to Christian's garret in silence. Satine wasn't sure how to feel. On the one hand, he was still the man who hurt her. The reasons he gave were less than acceptable. But part of Satine wanted to forgive him. She could sense that her father didn't have too much time left. She could understand him wanting to reconcile with her before his death. Even though he caused her a lot of pain, she wanted that reconciliation as well. She knew it would bring both of them a bit of healing before his death. She was still pondering this thought when she arrived home. 

"SoÉ" Christian seemed anxious to hear what had happened. Although Satine had only been gone three hours, that was longer than they had been apart in the last four months. 

"He apologized tom me, but not very well. He made a bunch of excuses, and asked me to forgive him," she said. 

"Well, you're not going to, right?" Christian asked. For him, there was no excuse Satine's father could give that would validate hurting his diamond. He noticed Satine looking upset. "What's wrong?" he asked. 

Satine looked at him. "He's so sick. He has consumption as well, and he went into a fit while I was there. He doesn't have much time left, and part of me wants to heal this before he dies. But part of me agrees with you, that he has no excuses and cannot be forgiven. I don't know what to do", she said. 

As he had done many times before, Christian pulled Satine into his embrace. "It'll be ok, I promise," he said. 

Later that night, Satine once again sat alone on the balcony. "Why is it that whenever I decide to sleep on something, I can't sleep?" she thought to herself. She spent the remainder of the night in thought, until both she heard a knock at the door. 

Since Christian remained was just waking up, Satine answered the door. It was Harold, who looked like he had some important information. 

"Good morning, Harold," she said. 

"Satine, I have some bad news." Harold said. 

Christian stood in the kitchen, making breakfast. He heard Harold's voice, but couldn't make out what he was saying. Suddenly, Satine came in the room. She looked to be in some sort of a fog. Christian left his cooking and sat down next to her. "What happened? What did Harold say?" he asked. 

"My father, he died last night." Satine said. 

Christian said nothing. He simply held Satine like he had done before. "Why can't things just get better?" he thought to himself. "She doesn't deserve this.


	14. Through the Rain

Therapy 

Chapter Fourteen: Through the Rain

A.N. Thanks for the reviews! Sorry this took a little longer, I've been pretty busy with school. This chapter's a little bit shorter, but it's important. 

Disclaimer: I don't own Moulin Rouge. 

Christian held Satine's hand as they walked out of the church. It was three days after her father's death, and a funeral had just been held. To Christian, the saddest part of it wasn't that Satine's father had died. The saddest part was that only about fifteen people came to his service, and about half of them had been brought by someone else, like he had been. Given that the church could hold hundreds of people, this looked pretty pathetic. 

On the way back to Christian's garret, they decided to stop in at the Moulin Rouge. The next day, they were going back to England. Satine was glad that she planned the visit to Paris when she did. At least she got to see her father one last time. 

Christian and Satine entered the empty main hall. Toulouse was there setting up some kind of set.

"Oh, I'm gwad you are here! Harold wanted to know if you planned on attending the performance tonight." Toulouse said when he saw them. 

Christian and Satine looked at each other. "Performance of what?" Christian asked. 

"Oh, I never towd you? Our new production! It opens tonight

Satine gave it some thought. Christian was about to decline when she said "Of course we'll come.

"Are you sure? If you're not up to it, we don't have to." Christian was worried about Satine. 

However, the two of them ended up attending the performance of "Bohemian Storm". While the writing was nowhere near as brilliant as Christian's was, the show really was good. Satine enjoyed being in the audience for once, seeing all of her old friends on the stage. After the show, Christian and Satine walked around the garden of the Moulin Rouge. 

As Satine gazed up at the giant elephant that had been her home for many years, she turned to Christian and asked "This has to be over now, right?

At first, Christian didn't understand what she meant. "What has to be over?

"All of this bad stuff that keeps happening to us, or more specifically, to me. I've beaten the consumption, I've beaten the nightmares, the Duke's in prison, and my father died. I think we're done with the sadness, Christian." Satine explained. 

"Yes, I think so too." Christian said. The two continued walking through the garden. A song came into Satine's mind, and she sang softly to herself as the walked. 

_When you get caught in the rain with no where to run_

_When you're distraught and in pain without anyone _

_When you keep crying out to be saved but nobody comes _

_And you feel so far away _

_That you just can't find your way home _

_You can get there alone _

It's okay, what you say is 

_I can make it through the rain _

_I can stand up once again on my own _

_And I know that I'm strong enough to mend_

_And every time I feel afraid I hold tighter to my faith_

_And I live one more day and I make it through the rain _

_And if it keeps falling down don't you dare give in_

_You will arrive safe and sound, so keep pressing on steadfastly_

_And you'll find what you need to prevail _

_What you say is _

_I can make it through the rain _

_I can stand up once again on my own _

_And I know that I'm strong enough to mend_

_And every time I feel afraid I hold tighter to my faith _

_And I live one more day and I make it through the rain _

_And when the wind blows, as shadows grow close don't be afraid _

_There's nothing you can't face _

_And should they tell you you'll never pull through _

_Don't hesitate, stand tall and say _

_I can make it through the rain _

_I can stand up once again on my own _

_And I know that I'm strong enough to mend_

_And every time I feel afraid I hold tighter to my faith _

_And I live one more day and I make it through the rain _

_I can make it through the rain_

_And stand up once again_

_And I live one more day and night_

_I can make it through the rain _

_Yes you can _

_You will make it through the rain_

Christian hadn't heard Satine sing in awhile. He smiled at her as she finished her song. "I guess now's a good a time as any" he thought to himself. 

He stopped Satine and led her to a small clearing in the garden. "Yes, this is perfect" he thought as she sat down on one of the benches there. 

"Satine, the past few months have shown me that our love really can survive anything, and also that I can't live without you. When you went to visit your father the other day, I thought I would go mad from not seeing you for three hours. So what I'm trying to say is, will you marry me? I didn't have time to buy a ring or anything, but

Christian didn't have time to finish his sentence. It was interrupted by Satiine giving him the most passionate kiss he had ever had. 

"Of course I will" she said. 

As they headed back to Christian's garret, Satine felt happier than she had felt in months. "Finally" she thought to herself. "I've made it through the rain.

A.N. Ok, I know that was incredibly cheesy. I didn't plan on using the Mariah Carey song when I named the chapter, but it just seemed to fit. At least I finally had one chapter where nothing bad happened to Satine!


	15. At The Beginning

Therapy Chapter 15: At The Beginning 

Disclaimer: I don't own Moulin Rouge

"You may kiss the bride" 

At these words Christian put his arms around Satine and gave her the most passionate kiss she had ever had. They were married. 

Instead of going back to London, like they had planned, Christian and Satine decided to stay in Paris to plan the wedding. After all, it didn't make sense to have the wedding in London when almost everyone they planned on inviting lived in Paris. The planning time had been fairly short, and just two months after Christian had proposed he and Satine were married. 

At the reception, Satine felt an emotion that she hadn't felt for almost a year-true happiness. She sat at a table with all of the former diamond dogs, laughing and sharing stories about their lives. Satine never thought she could make herself laugh so much by telling stories about her life. She thought back to her first session with Dr. Landon, and how talking about her life used to reduce her to tears. 

Soon it was time for Satine and Christian's first dance. For the first time in almost a year, Satine was able to simply enjoy the feeling of his arms being around her, without crying or having horrible images in her head to distract her. 

Christian listened to the lyrics of the song, which he had picked out just the day before. He couldn't remember when he had felt this at ease; the last time he hadn't been worried. "It's over now" he thought. The song kept playing as Christian and Satine enjoyed their first moment of complete happiness in a long time. 

That night, Satine did something she hadn't done for a long time. She fell asleep before Christian, without him holding on to her. It was no longer hard for her to sleep. Since she and Christian had been engaged the nightmares had all but stopped. Although it was hard for her to believe, she had actually beaten them. As she was falling asleep, she thought back to when Christian had first suggested therapy. She was glad she had gone through with the sessions. Now she could stop worrying about these silly nightmares and concentrate on what was really important-building her life with Christian. 

Meanwhile, Christian sat at his typewriter by the window, watching Satine sleep. He couldn't believe how amazing she was. He wasn't sure if he would have been able to get through all that she had dealt with in her life. She had had one of the most horrible pasts Christian had ever heard, and yet here she was strong and happy. A song came into Christian's mind, one that he knew he had to write down right away. Although he was worried the typing noise would wake Satine, he began to type. 

_We were strangers_

_Starting out on a journey_

_Never dreaming_

_What we'd have to go through_

_Now here we are_

_And I'm suddenly standing_

_At the beginning with you_

No one told me 

_I was going to find you_

_Unexpected_

_What you did to my heart_

_When I lost hope_

_You were there to remind me_

_This is the start_

_Life is a road_

_And I want to keep going_

_Love is a river_

_I wanna keep flowing_

_Life is a road_

_Now and forever_

_Wonderful journey_

_I'll be there_

_When the world stops turning_

_I'll be there_

_When the storm is through_

_In the end I wanna be standing_

_At the beginning with you_

_We were strangers_

_On a crazy adventure_

_Never dreaming_

_How our dreams would come true_

_Now here we stand_

_Unafraid of the future_

_At the beginning with you_

_Life is a road_

_And I want to keep going_

_Love is a river_

_I wanna keep flowing_

_Life is a road_

_Now and forever_

_Wonderful journey_

_I'll be there_

_When the world stops turning_

_I'll be there_

_When the storm is through_

_In the end I wanna be standing_

_At the beginning with you_

_I knew there was somebody somewhere_

_Like me alone in the dark_

_Now I know my dream will live on_

_I've been waiting so long_

_Nothing's gonna tear us apart_

_Life is a road_

_And I want to keep going_

_Love is a river_

_I wanna keep flowing_

_Life is a road_

_Now and forever_

_Wonderful journey_

_I'll be there_

_When the world stops turning_

_I'll be there_

_When the storm is through_

_In the end I wanna be standing_

_At the beginning with you_

_Life is a road and I wanna keep going_

_Love is a river I wanna keep going on...._

_Starting out on a journey_

_Life is a road and I wanna going_

_Love is river I wanna keep flowing_

_In the end I wanna be standing_

_At the beginning with you._

The next day, Christian and Satine headed back to London to continue their adventure. Now there was nothing life could throw at them that they wouldn't come through stronger than ever.

The End

A.N. Well, that's it! I hope you enjoyed this! Thanks to everyone who reviewed this story, it really kept me motivated. Sorry this chapter took so long, but life's been busy lately. 


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